Basketball units that are capable of being raised and lowered are known in the art. An example is the device shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,628,508 by Koole. These units, which are large and heavy, are used by college and professional teams because they can be transported and stored when other events are scheduled in the arena.
Present units, however, are complicated in their design and require many parts to prepare the basketball unit for transport. Therefore, a need exists for a portable basketball unit that is simple to operate and more easy to construct.
The objective of the present invention is to provide a device that is easy to manufacture, having a minimum number of parts.
A further objective of the present invention is to provide a device that is simple to operate and transport.
A still further objective of the invention is to provide a device that is economical to manufacture.
The present invention has a base that is supported on a surface by a pair of rear wheels and front foot members. Rotatably connected to the base are support frame members that are capable of movement between an upper position and a lower transport position. A swing arm is pivotally connected between the support members. A beam supporting a backboard and rim member are movably connected to support members. A pair of forward wheels are mounted on the base and have a retractable means for maintaining the wheels in a raised position when the support members are in the upper position. Finally, there is a means for moving the forward wheels downwardly, which in turn raises the foot pads off the support surface, allowing the basketball unit to be moved longitudinally over the support surface.
These and other objectives, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to one skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description in view of the drawings.